A Shortest Path Model for the Optimal Timing of Forest Harvest Decisions

The management of National Forests is a complex problem in which resources are scarce and multiple uses often conflict. A key aspect of forest policy is the determination of how to manage the timber resources of the forest, as many of the nontimber resources are conditioned by timber levels and harvest activities. In this paper, we present a 0–1 integer programming model which is used to determine an optimal timber harvesting sequence for a single stand, or group of stands, over a particular planning horizon. The harvesting model is developed around the classic shortest path network-flow model and, as such, exhibits the unique solution characteristics of the shortest path problem. The integer programming model performs extremely well computationally, always solving exactly in all 0–1 variables in its relaxed linear programming form.